These varieties are less susceptible to major pests, diseases of sugarcane
Sugarcane is an important cash crop in India that contributes significantly to the country’s agricultural economy. Besides making products like sugar, jaggery and molasses, it is also being used to produce ethanol which is blended with petrol.
Due to the increasing demand, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi on August 11 released 4 new high-yielding, climate-resilient and biofortified sugarcane varieties to increase the crop output. Seeds of these varieties will be available to farmers for the next three years. These four varieties are Karan-17 (Co-17018), Ikshu-16 (CoLk 16202), Ikshu-17 (CoLk 16470) and CoPb 99 (CoPb 17215).
Karan-17 (CO-17018) has been released for cultivation in irrigated areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and central and western Uttar Pradesh. The average yield of this variety is 914.8 quintals per hectare, and it is ready for harvest in 330-360 days.
Its sugar content is 18.38% and it is resistant to red rot disease. It is also less affected by shoot borer, stalk borer and top borer insects. The scientists of the Karnal Regional Centre of the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore have developed the Karan-17 variety.
Ikshu-16 (CoLk 16202) has been developed by the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Lucknow. It is an early variety and matures in about 10 months. Its average yield is 932 quintals per hectare and the sugar content is 17.74%.
It is drought tolerant and resistant to red rot disease. It has been developed for the irrigated areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh.
Ikshu-17 (CoLk 16470) variety is suitable for eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam and matures in 360 days. Its yield potential is 825 quintals per hectare and the sugar content is 17.37%.
This variety is suited for waterlogged areas and is resistant to red rot and smut diseases. It is less susceptible to attacks by major diseases and pests of sugarcane. This variety has also been developed by IISR, Lucknow.
CoPb 99 (CoPb 17215) variety has been developed by the scientists of the Sugarcane Research Centre, Kapurthala of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. It is an early maturing and high-yielding variety which has been developed for irrigated areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh.
Its yield potential is 901 quintals per hectare and its sugar content is 18.01%. It is less susceptible to attacks by shoot borer, stalk borer and top borer pests and is also resistant to red rot disease.
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